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School & District Management

Superintendents Wrapped: The Songs District Leaders Listened to This Year

By Caitlynn Peetz — December 06, 2024 1 min read
A bright blue and pink background with a hand holding a phone with the spotify logo. A pair of headphones frames the cellphone.
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Think superintendents are so busy overseeing school district operations that they don’t have time to listen to music? Think again!

Between driving to endless meetings, traveling to conferences, carefully curating playlists for the week’s pep rally, or just pressing play when they have a moment of free time, superintendents racked up the hours on music streaming services this year.

Spotify released its always highly anticipated year-end project, Spotify Wrapped, on Dec. 4, through which the platform gives users a summary of their activity on the platform over the past year—primarily their most listened to artists and songs. Users oftentimes share their Wrapped on social media platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram for their friends to see (and sometimes judge). Apple Music does a similar year in review.

Like that of everyone else, superintendents’ music tastes vary greatly, from Kenny Chesney to Kendrick Lamar to Frank Sinatra. One superintendent’s top song on Spotify this year was written and produced by students in the district. (A Grammy-nominated artist and an alumnus of the district also made that superintendent’s top five.) Another was dreaming of the beach all year with Jimmy Buffett on repeat.

Five brave superintendents shared their top songs or artists of the past year, as chronicled by their Apple Music or Spotify year-in-review summaries. Some shared their top songs, some shared their top artists, and while many were bold enough to share their top five, some shared fewer—and since this is just for fun, we allowed it.


Kimberlee Armstrong

Portland Public 69´«Ã½, Oregon

Apple Music top songs:

  1. "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar
  2. "49er Faithful" by Travis King feat. E-40
  3. "Hypnotize" (2005 Remaster) by The Notorious B.I.G.
  4. "Love in the Dark" by Jessie Rayez
  5. "Rise Up" by Andra Day


Bryan Johnson

Atlanta Public 69´«Ã½

Apple Music top songs:

  1. "Joy and Pain" by Frankie Beverly
  2. "My Way" by Frank Sinatra
  3. "Fear Is Not My Future" by Maverick City


Adrienne Battle

Metro Nashville Public 69´«Ã½, Tennessee

Spotify top songs:

  1. "Every Student Known" by MNPS students
  2. "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey
  3. "II Most Wanted" by Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus
  4. "Lose Control" by Teddy Swims
  5. "I Am Not Okay" by Jelly Roll (Fun fact: Jelly Roll attended Metro Nashville schools, according to the district’s spokesperson.)


Michael Sollitto

Burrillville Public 69´«Ã½, Rhode Island

Spotify top artists:

  1. Jimmy Buffett
  2. Kenny Chesney
  3. Billy Joel
  4. The Black Crowes
  5. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers


Karen Molinar

Fort Worth Independent School District, Texas

Apple Music top songs:

  1. "Arkansas" by Chris Stapleton
  2. "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey
  3. "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" by John Mayer
  4. "She Got That" by Drew Green
  5. "I Had Some Help" by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen

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